Windows – Problems with Windows Update on Server 2012 R2

windowswindows updatewindows-server-2012-r2

I have 16 important updates in Windows Update waiting to be installed, but they won't install. The general case is the following:

  1. To install Update X, first I need to install update Y.
  2. Update Y does not install with the error "This update is not applicable to your computer", even though I've chosen the one for Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit from the list.

For example: to install KB2919355, first I need to install KB2919442. I go to the page for the latter (because its not on the list on WU) and click on the file for "All supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2012 R2". When I try to install the file however, I get the above error.

I tried some proposed solutions I found on the net, but they don't work. It was suggested I try the Troubleshooter, but in "All categories" I don't have "Windows Update".
I tried stopping the WU and BITS services, then deleting the "SoftwareDistribution" folder, then starting the services again and trying to install it again – same error.

What do I do now?

UPDATE 1: output of command:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> get-hotfix KB3173424,KB2919355,KB2919442

Source        Description      HotFixID      InstalledBy          InstalledOn
------        -----------      --------      -----------          -----------
<edited> Update           KB2919355     <edited> 7.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
<edited> Update           KB3173424     <edited> 6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00

It shows as installed (?), when in the installed updates window it showed as "Failed" (that was before I erased the "SoftwareDistribution" folder.
I am downloading some updates manually, because they are prerequisites for the ones in thw WU list, but are not listed in it.

UPDATE 2: I tried these

sfc /scannow – returns "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations"

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth and
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth return "Error: 87 The cleanup-image option is unknown."

UPDATE 3: This is the list of updates that won't insatll:

2017-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB4054519)
2018-07 Security Monthly Quality Rollup for Windows Server 2012 R2 for x64-based Systems (KB4338815)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3004365)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3045999)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3071756)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3081320)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3092601)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3126593)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3146723)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3161949)
Security Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3175024)
Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB2967917)
Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3000850)
Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3008242)
Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3044374)
Update for Windows Server 2012 R2 (KB3077715)
Windows Server 2012 R2 Update (KB2919355)

I checked if some of them are superseded on catalog.update.microsoft.com. None are, except the 2017-12 Security Monthly Quality Rollup (as expected).
So the updates are not superseded.

When I type get-hotfix, from the list of available updates, only KB2919355 lists as installed, so the vast majority are not already installed.

Also, I am getting the updates via WU, so I'd think they'll give me a list according to my architecture (64-bit). Also, when I manually go to the website and choose 64-bit, I get the same error.

So I'm left with pretty much no more options except complete reinstall, but that's not at all guaranteed to solve the problem. Does anybody have any other ideas?

UPDATE 4:

Installed updates (sorry, PS only gives me the date and not time, so there's no way to tell which was the last one installed):

Description      HotFixID       InstalledOn
 -----------      --------       -----------
 Security Update  KB2862152      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2868626      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2892074      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2893294      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2894856      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2898871      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2901128      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2912390      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB2919355      7.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2922229      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2931366      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB2939087      7.5.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2973201      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB2975061      7.5.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2976897      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2977765      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2978041      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB2978126      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB2999226      7.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3010788      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3011780      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3019978      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3021674      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3023222      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3023266      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3032663      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB3034348      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3035126      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3037579      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB3042085      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3045685      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3045755      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3046017      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3055642     
 Security Update  KB3059317      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3061512      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3074228      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3074548      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3082089      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3084135      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3086255      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3097997      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3098779      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3102939      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3109103      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3110329      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3126041      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3126434      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3126587      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3133043      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3139398      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3139914      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3155784      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3156059      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3159398      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3162343      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3172729      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Update           KB3173424      6.6.2018 г. 0:00:00
 Security Update  KB3178539      7.12.2018 г. 0:00:00

Best Answer

I finally managed to install the updates with once again trying the method "disable WU and BITS services - delete SoftwareDistribution folder - re-enable services - try updating again". Don't know why that failed the previous times. I installed the updates one by one, some initially failed to install, but after I installed their prerequisites, succeeded. Even KB2919355, which was listed as already installed, but nevertheless appeared on the WU list of available updates, installed now.

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